Dulwich Home For Girls

Dulwich Home for Girls was the first home to be opened by the Waifs and Strays' Society. A local committee ran the ordinary 6-bedroomed house at 8 Stamford Villas through the matron, Mrs White, and the Honorary Secretary, Mr M.T. Reynolds. Mrs White had four children of her own to look after, so after only eight months she transferred her duties to a clergyman’s widow, Mrs Milles. Later that year in July 1883, Miss M.A. Payne succeeded her.

The small Home could only house twelve girls and did not possess all the conveniences that the Society would have liked, so in 1884 they moved to larger premises. The new house opened in July and could accommodate thirty girls. The Home changed its name to the Baroda House Home for Girls, after the name of their new building.

This move was short lived and the Home moved again in 1887, to the Lampson House, 62 Overhill Road and was renamed the Lampson Home in honour of the Home’s sponsor, Dowager Lady Lampson. The new house was so overcrowded at the opening ceremony that 'it was only by the exercise of much good-natured compression that the hall was cleared sufficiently to allow the Bishop and clergy to enter” to perform the dedication service. Lots of people (101 children from homes around London plus staff and visitors) attended the opening.

It was intended that girls should learn skills that would help them find employment when they left so a new laundry room was added in 1895. Lampson Home proved so successful that in 1898 it was suggested that the Society buy the adjoining house to extend the Home.

The Home moved to the site of St Michael's Home for Girls in Shipton under Wychwood in 1935.